The V.I. Port Authority has been awarded almost $1 million more in additional federal funds for the repair and rehabilitation of the Cyril E. King Airport runway, Gov. John deJongh Jr. announced Friday.
Last month the authority received a $13.3 million grant from the U.S. Transportation Department for the project, which will fix the cracking runway and repair its lighting system. The project is the first major rehab the runway has seen since the airport was completed more than 20 years ago, VIPA officials have said.
The Federal Aviation Administration — an agency under the U.S. Transportation Department — will now put another $960,000 toward the project, which carries a $15 million price tag, according to a release from Government House. The grant was increased to $14.2 million based on the prices of bids received for the project, the release said.
"The awarding of this grant in conjunction with the $13.3 million announced for the same project two weeks ago goes a long way to address the longstanding concerns about the condition of the runway and lighting at the Cyril E. King Airport," the governor said in a statement.
